


Dangerous Game

by Jenni_Snake



Category: The Big Bang Theory (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Kidnapping, M/M, Other, Stand Alone, Thriller
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 18:47:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7725718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jenni_Snake/pseuds/Jenni_Snake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A top-secret project has Sheldon gambling with his friends' lives.</p><p>
  <i>"“Because, Raj, Sheldon’s an academic with an overinflated sense of self. He just writes papers on string theory, his ideas aren’t the linchpin in some international intrigue. You’re an idiot if you think his life is some sort of spy novel.”</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dangerous Game

**Author's Note:**

> _I've had this kicking around for a quite few years, but never did anything with it. I have no idea where it came from, or why I'm coming back to it now (except because I'm procrastinating on finishing something else)._
> 
> _I have this nagging feeling that I got the idea about locking away the file from an episode in season three, but it's been a long time and I can't remember._
> 
> _**Be warned:** nothing goes right and there is no happy ending here._

Howard is yelling at Raj as they walk out into the parking lot. It’s not the first time they’ve had this fight.

“Because you always dream up these stupid fantasies, and that’s all they are - fantasies! Sheldon’s an academic with an overinflated sense of self. He just writes papers on string theory, his ideas aren’t the linchpin in some international intrigue. You’re an idiot if you think his life is some sort of spy novel.”

“Nice, Howard, really nice,” Raj snaps as they both jerk open the car doors and fling themselves onto their seats. Raj starts the car and pulls out onto the street a little too quickly. Howard slumps, his arms crossed over his chest, staring out the window. They drive in silence.

After a few blocks, Howard hangs his head and plays with his hands in his lap.

“I didn’t mean to get so angry. I’m sorry,” he says, looking sheepishly at Raj. “It’s just... it just sounds like some stupid thing Sheldon would dream up to make you curious. You know, play some sort of practical joke on you.”

Raj lets out a sigh.

“I guess you’re right. I mean, it’s _so_ stupid, who makes such a big deal of locking away some dumb folder every night?”

“It’s probably something ridiculous,” Howard says, laughing, “like his mother’s fried chicken recipe.”

“Or his top ten list of all the scientific inaccuracies in his top ten worst movies of all time,” Raj throws out as they stop at a red light.

“You’re horrible,” Howard smirks, and leans over for a kiss.

Raj kisses him back and smiles.

“That's why you love me,” he says as they start moving again. "Happy anniversary."

“Are we going to get changed before the show?”

“After dinner? I’m starving, and - What the...?”

Out of nowhere, blue and red lights are flashing in the rear-view mirror. Howard looks over his shoulder. He thinks it’s weird that there aren’t any other cars or people on the street, and doesn’t know what Raj could have done wrong.

“What did you do?” he says, turning back.

“I don't know, Howard,” Raj quips, stressed, “forget to let the white person drive?”

They pull over, and the unmarked car pulls up behind them. Two white men step out of the vehicle. They’re in plainclothes - jeans, shirts, jackets. Except they’re wearing sunglasses and it's overcast and nearly dusk. Their hair is too neat and close cropped to look normal. The dark-haired one hangs behind, the other one, blonde hair almost as white as his scalp, approaches Raj’s window and flashes a badge. Raj shoots Howard a look, but Howard just shakes his head in confusion.

Before Raj can even roll down the window, the man yanks the door open and whips out a gun, pointing it in his face. Raj and Howard both throw their hands up instinctively. Approaching, the other man draws his own weapon.

“Get out,” the first man says curtly. “Up against the car.”

They do as they're told, hearts pounding, too shocked to speak. The men take their wallets and their phones, then twist their arms behind their backs. Howard protests and Raj complains. Their wrists are bound, tightened uncomfortably in plastic loops.

“What the hell is this?!” Howard starts yelling. “You can’t just...”

Without a word, the man who is pushing him towards the black car hits Howard hard on the back of the head with the butt of his gun, and he crumples to the ground. Before Raj can make a sound, there’s a sharp blow to the back of his own head, then nothing.

***

Leonard paces between the kitchen and the door, phone in one hand, running the other through his hair as he talks.

“No, Mrs. Wolowitz,” he says, “I haven’t heard from him either. He must be with Raj. ... No, I don’t know why his phone is off. … Yes, I’ll tell him to call you when I get a hold of him. … Okay. … Yes. … Goodbye.”

He hangs up, hovering behind Sheldon at his desk. Sheldon doesn’t even look up from his computer.

“You know that Howard isn’t at Raj’s, either,” he reproaches him. “Why didn’t you just tell his mother the truth?”

“Because she doesn’t need to worry.”

“Well, _you’re_ worried,” Sheldon notes. “You could just commiserate with her instead of pestering me. I’m working.”

“Sheldon!” Leonard snaps. “Howard and Raj didn’t show up to work today, and no one’s seen them since they left yesterday! I got my friend at the box office to check - their tickets to _Les Mis_ weren’t even scanned. Why would they miss it when they haven’t shut up about it for months?!”

Sheldon turns to him finally, hands in his lap, giving him an exasperated look. Leonard hates his condescension.

“For a person who claims to be superior in the ways of human interaction, you are proving to be quite unimaginative. Did it ever occur to you that perhaps they wanted to spend some time alone on their anniversary, as would only be customary, without anyone interfering?”

Leonard shakes his head in disbelief.

“I don’t understand you. Your friends have been missing for a day now - how can you just sit there?”

Sheldon shrugs.

“Gravity, I suppose,” he drawls naively.

Not knowing what to do, Leonard fumes silently. Sheldon heaves a sigh.

“If you’re so concerned, Leonard, why not call the authorities?”

He gestures to the phone in Leonard’s hand, and Leonard glares at it.

It rings.

They both jump and Leonard tries not to drop it as he answers it.

“Hello? … Who is this? … Howard, is that you? This isn’t funny, we’re worried sick...”

Leonard is trying not to sound panicked, but the sinister voice on the other end demands to talk to Dr. Cooper. He hands the phone to Sheldon.

“Yes,” Sheldon chirps, “this is Dr. Cooper.”

Leonard can still hear the voice through the earpiece, and shudders. It’s inhuman, nightmarish - he knows logically it's being manipulated electronically, but it might as well be Satan himself. He can hear the threats.

“...your work on the Epsilon Project. We’ve tried negotiation,” it says menacingly. “Maybe your friends will be more helpful.”

Leonard starts, but Sheldon rolls his eyes.

“My friends will be less than helpful in this matter,” he says plainly, still speaking casually, as if there’s nothing at all strange about being threatened over the phone.

“If they don’t cooperate, you will be forced to. You have ten minutes to decide.”

The person on the other end hangs up, and so does Sheldon. He is still unperturbed. There is a moment before Leonard can speak.

“Who the hell was that?” he yells, out of his mind, demanding answers. “Why do they have Howard and Raj? What’s the Epsilon Project?”

“I can’t tell you, Leonard,” Sheldon says, pursing his lips before continuing. “It’s not just a matter of national security, it’s a matter of security for all humankind."

Leonard balks at him, speechless for only a second before he grabs the phone out of Sheldon’s hand.

“Well right now it’s a matter of security for our friends. I’m calling the police.”

***

Raj is pushed down a set of steep narrow stairs, pulled up roughly by the arm when he stumbles, and is shoved out onto a damp, concrete floor. He misses his footing, and falls hard onto the ground. Under his cheek are loose pebbles and dust. He coughs on mustiness and chalk. Some of the wall crumbles more rocks and dust over Raj’s head as the dark-haired man creaks back up the stairs.

“Now what?” he asks someone out of sight.

“Make them wait.”

The door closes and it’s completely dark. Raj can’t think about anything except how sore he is and how much he wants to sleep. His head lolls on the ground, and his muscles twitch like he’s about to fall asleep when he jerks awake to the memory that he was with Howard, and now he’s not.

Instead of panic, he surprises himself when he laughs. This is stupid, not real! Howard would tell him he’s dreaming. But how could he want to sleep in a dream? And he can’t because the pain in his head is a concussion and he he has to stay awake, but he can't sit up and the dark tightens around him and there’s too much dust and he can’t breathe...

He tries to calm himself down. There’s a flashing behind his eyelids when he closes them. He tries to imagine he’s somewhere else.

_Howard asks him to go to a rave, but he can’t remember what he called it because he told Raj not to call it that, it’s not like it’s the nineties. He told him not to call it a dance party either, but Raj does, and keeps stressing the wrong syllable just to tease him. He doesn’t believe Howard when he says that it doesn’t matter that he can’t dance until he gets there and no one else seems to be able to either, least of all Howard. But he’s jumping to the music that Raj can feel as much as he can hear, and he can’t remember ever seeing Howard so happy and carefree._

***

When Howard opens his eyes, he is struck first by confusion, next by pain, and finally by fear. He is slumped in the corner of a room, pitch black, can't remember how he got here, why he's here. His head throbs and he can't move his arms. He panics, hears his breath, too shallow, too fast... Then he hears nothing.

When he wakes up again, he doesn't know if he was out for minutes or hours. What he remembers might have been a nightmare, but he doesn’t have much time to think about it. The door swings open, assaulting his eyes with light. When he can almost see again, the same blonde man who pulled them over is standing above him. He's not wearing sunglasses now, but it's too bright to make out much more. He’s asking him his name. It takes Howard a minute to process before he can remember, and another second before he can say it.

“Tell us your involvement with Cooper and Epsilon.”

He must have a stupid look on his face, because he can’t make sense of either word. His brain runs through semiconductors, programming languages, calculus, trying to match something with the name that is for some reason on the tip of his tongue, but seems like he’s hearing it for the first time. He squints against the light. The throbbing in his head is unbearable.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says weakly.

And then he can’t remember if he hears the man shout _‘stop fucking with us’_ or _‘fucking stupid’_ because something heavy cracks his cheek. He doesn’t feel the pain at first, then it hits him badly, but he’s too afraid to cry.

“I don’t know, I don’t know,” he blubbers, stumbling over his tongue. His cheek is swelling from his eye down to his lip.

“Shit intel,” the man is saying to someone Howard can’t see, “but we’ve got them. We'll use them. This one’s got nothing. He can go first.”

The door slams and he’s left in the dark again, but he’s relieved. Why, though, would they let him go if he’d seen who they were? And what if they kept Raj, but he couldn’t find him? Then he understands what they meant. Neither of them are getting out of here alive.

Tears burn behind his eyes at the same time as he wants to laugh. He ends up doing nothing, staring into the dark, leans against the wall. A trickle of blood runs down his face instead. He closes his eyes and is grateful for the sleep...

_They’re on the beach, somewhere along the coast, there’s no telling exactly where, but it’s warm and the sun breaks off the surface of the water like a million diamonds, so they pull over. There’s no one else around for miles, not even anyone driving on the highway. Howard takes off his shirt and heads straight for the water in his shorts. The waves are cold around his dry ankles, but the water warms up as he wades in. He calls back to Raj who complains that he doesn’t have any shorts, and that having Howard splash him is not going to make things any better. Howard falls back onto a wave, giggling, and tells Raj to come on, there’s no one around, he doesn’t need anything to swim in. Just to make the point, he takes off his own shorts and tosses them to shore. Raj gets a goofy smile on his face, looking around one last time before dropping all his clothes in a pile and wading in. There’s something so different about being naked next to him in the water as they sway in the waves, his warmth making the water feel cooler. He never wants to let go._

***

It’s been seven minutes since the call. Leonard is pacing again, not taking his eyes off the phone, popping Valium that he found at the back of the medicine cabinet, but his hands won’t keep from shaking. The police have promised to send someone over, but it sounds like they don’t really believe the story. Sheldon is fixated on the phone, too, hands on his knees, the only thing betraying his anxiety is that he’s not sitting in his usual spot, and doesn't notice. Neither of them has spoken a word.

It takes them a moment to realize that the phone is ringing when it finally does.

***

The light is like the sun off the water, and Howard turns away. The blonde man has shaken him awake.

“Tell them your name,” he commands, shoving a phone in his face.

Howard is confused.

“What? Who?”

Just as he hears a tinny, faraway voice say his name he gets a swift kick in the ribs. He’s winded and wheezing.

“I don’t know what you want,” he croaks, exhausted.

“That’s not what we need you for.”

A gun is cocked and he freezes. The muzzle against his temple is colder than he would have thought.

He thinks of the ocean.

***

Both Sheldon and Leonard flinch when they hear the gunshot over the phone. Leonard’s legs buckle, and he falls to his knees right where he’s standing. He still wants this to be a joke. If it is, it’s sick and too well-thought-out.

The voice on the other end has lost all patience.

“You’re running out of time and out of friends, Dr. Cooper.”

They only realize the call has been ended when the phone starts beeping and Sheldon has to fumble for the button to make it stop.

***

Raj isn’t sure if it’s a gunshot that startles him awake or if he only dreamt it. Maybe their captors got in a fight and took each other out. Two sets of footsteps rush down the stairs letting him know he guessed wrong. He’s grabbed by the collar off the floor, and feels himself start to tremble. The blonde man is yelling at him now.

“You’d better know more than your boyfriend up there did, or you’re next!”

The terror that had gripped Raj disappears. There’s an odd sound that must have come from him. He didn’t know that’s what despair sounded like.

“Oh shit, he wasn’t really, was he? Fuck this!” The man lets go of Raj and kicks something that makes a loud metal crunch.

Raj flinches, then can’t stop and it turns into shaking. He's desperate for this to be a bluff. He’ll tell them what he knows and they'll take him to Howard because they'll have what they want, and because he can’t be dead.

“It’s - it’s - it,” Raj doesn't know why he can see Sheldon putting the file away, but can’t make the words come out of his mouth. “Drawer - the cabinet - it's in the filing cabinet, in our office…”

“Don’t fuck with me!” the man screams, kicking Raj this time in the side of the head, so hard he can't hear out of his ear for a moment. “We all know damned well there’s nothing in there!”

The man curses as he dials a number, screaming something into the phone, kicking Raj in the head again to elicit a sound. A gun cocks next to his ear. Raj wishes he were somewhere else.

_The hotel room is a burst of pure white in the sunshine. Raj rolls over to get up, but Howard pulls him back into the cloud of covers. They tousle for a moment, hands all over each other, before Howard pulls Raj tight against him and lets him put his tongue down his throat._

_"Fuck me," Howard whispers, and Raj blushes. He can't make himself say the same words, but he burns insanely when Howard does._

_In a moment Raj has Howard gripping the edge of the mattress, squeezing his hips and fucking him harder and harder with each moan. He grabs Howard's cock and loses momentum, tries to get it back but in the end it doesn't matter..._

On the cold floor, Raj comes hot with shame in his final moment, embarrassed that this is the last thing he’ll ever remember. He wishes this would just end. 

*** 

The phone rings and Sheldon answers it in a fluid movement. He doesn't have to say anything; they hear whimpering on the other end just before the disembodied voice shouts down the line. 

"You’ve only got one fucking chance left to save your skin and his!" 

There’s the click of a gun again. Sheldon’s face is set, and he’s staring at nothing, motionless except for his eyes flickering just slightly. He’s more panicked than he’s ever been, and it’s getting harder and harder to calculate a course of action. 

“Tell them what they want,” Leonard pleads. Sheldon’s eyes flicker again. 

“Give it up and you’ll still have one friend alive!” 

Sheldon bites his lip and swallows, trying to get rid of his dry throat. Leonard is holding his breath, and doesn't notice that tears have gathered in his eyes until he blinks. Finally, Sheldon says something. 

"There's only one thing I can do for you. In my office, there's a locked filing cabinet..." 

His words are cut off by another shot on the other end. Sheldon is frozen, still clenching the phone, even though it's gone dead again. 

The only sound that interrupts the ringing in their ears is a police siren growing closer. 

"It didn't work," Sheldon whispers. 

Leonard shuts his eyes. 

*** 


End file.
